Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Lady Selene is the heir to the Great House of Ravenwood and the secret family gift of dreamwalking. As a dreamwalker, she can enter a person's dreams and manipulate their greatest fears or desires. For the last hundred years, the Ravenwood women have used their gift of dreaming for hire to gather information or to assassinate.

As she discovers her family's dark secret, Selene is torn between upholding her family's legacy--a legacy that supports her people--or seeking the true reason behind her family's gift.

Her dilemma comes to a head when she is tasked with assassinating the one man who can bring peace to the nations, but who will also bring about the downfall of her own house.

My Review:Mark of the Raven is a fantasy novel that's rather depressing until nearly the end. At the beginning, Selene gains the gift of dreamwalking only to learn that her mother expects her to kill and terrorize people using her gift in order to earn money and increase their House's power. She's kindhearted, so it's destroying her to follow her mother's instructions. Much of the story is her using her gift to hurt people.

She's willing to do this so that her sisters won't have to. It's nice that she isn't selfish, but the destruction of her soul through obedience was not fun to read. And it's a meaningless gesture anyway. One sister is eager to learn dreamwalking and would love to show how much better she is at it than Selene. Plus her mother probably intends for all her daughters to help her make money and gain power; she never said otherwise. Also, Selene kept consoling herself that she would learn a better way to use her gift, but she made no effort to explore other ways of using it (while actually dreamwalking) even when her father hinted at what it used to be used for.

There were also several holes and conflicting things in the story. Selene wants to learn how the other House gifts are used, but even her father (who comes from the House of wisdom and learning) doesn't know this information. On the other hand, the hero only has to ask that pretty girl from the other House to learn more about their gifts. One House leader only had to anger another House leader in order to see his gift in action (and in public). So it doesn't seem like it should be that difficult to find out about the other gifts. Also, no reason is given for why no one seems to have a written history of what happened in the last conflict with the Empire or about the giving of the Gifts (even just a legendary version).

While the ending left me interested in what happens to Selene in the future, I'm not sure that I trust the author to not create another depressing read even though the story seems to be Selene's journey toward the Light. There was no sex or bad language.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When Sadie Harlan visits her daughter, Lauren, at her summer internship in Yosemite National Park, it seems like the perfect way to forget about her empty nest and failing marriage back home. But when the two women get lost on what’s meant to be a short hike, they suddenly find themselves fighting for their lives.

As they search for food, water, and civilization, they battle injury, exhaustion, and natural predators. Sadie, however, is assaulted by more than just the unforgiving elements. She lost her first child years earlier in a tragic accident, and in her sorrow, she’s pushed everyone away—including her husband. Now, Sadie must face her past through a journey of love, loss, and learning to forgive herself if she and Lauren are to stand a chance at getting out of Yosemite alive. Will a mother’s courage be enough to save them both?

My Review:Dancing with the Sun is a general fiction novel. Half of the story consisted of flashbacks of Sadie's past. Her son died in an accident while camping with his father, and she has mistrusted nature ever since. Her marriage is strained because she withdrew emotionally in her grief. She longs to connect with her adopted daughter, Lauren, and so reluctantly allows Lauren to take her on a relatively short trail in Yosemite. Since it was supposed to be a short walk, they did not come prepared for the possibility of getting hopelessly lost and encountering wildlife.

The characters came across as complex, real people. They reacted realistically to the situations, relationships, and loss. I cared about what happened to the characters. Though the characters were in a difficult situation, I did not feel depressed or scared by what they were going through, though I felt a lot of sympathy for them. And healing comes through the journey. The title refers to turning to face the light, both literally using the sun as a compass and figuratively as she heals from her dark grief. There were only a few uses of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd recommend this emotionally genuine novel of surviving the wilderness and grief.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Jessica Fletcher has never had any reason to worry about her longtime publisher, Lane Barfield, who also happens to be a trusted friend. When another author claims Lane has been stealing from their royalties, Jessica reluctantly investigates. But that author and then Lane turn up dead, apparently from suicide, though Jessica spots indications of murder.

Lane's latest, sure-to-be-a-best-seller acquisition goes completely missing from the system--no traces left behind at all--and anyone who has read the manuscript turns up dead from apparent suicide. Jessica uses the hard copy Lane gave her to find clues that seem to point to shadowy powers controlling the president who are willing to kill to hide their influence.

My Review:Manuscript for Murder is a cozy thriller. This is the forty-eighth book in the series. You don't have to read the previous novels to understand this one, and this one doesn't spoil the whodunit of previous novels.

This book was written like a thriller, only there was too much filler material slowing the pace. The author also kept repeating things again and again, even if the information had been stated just a paragraph or page ago. Also, we're supposed to believe that the manuscript is an exciting thriller. Jessica even says so. Yet she kept falling asleep every few paragraphs while she's reading it, so she never finished the book. That makes it sound very boring. Basically, the suspense was more stated ("Jessica was afraid" type of thing) than felt by me.

Jessica was so convinced that the important clues were in the manuscript that she overlooked obvious clues in reality--clues which allowed me to easily guess some of the twists at the end. Due to Jessica's focus on finding obscure clues, the story wasn't really a puzzle mystery but a race to uncover the bad guys while avoiding death. The premise is silly, though, because few people would believe that a fictional thriller revealed what was really going on in Washington DC. There was no need to kill a bunch of people and risk bringing attention to a book that otherwise would have been harmless.

There were some funny characters in this book, so it was still an enjoyable read. But the characters weren't really true to the series or even the previous books. There was no sex. There were a few uses of bad language.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Aliza and Alastair match wits as they fight to protect the helpless and save their world.

The Battle of North Fields is over—or so Aliza Bentaine, now a Daired, fervently wants to believe. But word comes that an unknown monster is ravaging the isolated Castle Selwyn on the northern border of the kingdom. She and Alastair must travel with their dragon Akarra through the Tekari-infested Old Wilds of Arle to answer Lord Selwyn's call. Shadowing the dragonriders is an ancient evil, a harbinger of a dark danger of which the Worm was only a foretaste.

My Review:Dragonshadow is a heroic fantasy novel with a bit of mystery. It is the second book in the series. It spoils events from the first book (though not in detail), so I'd recommend reading them in order. You don't have to read the previous book to understand this one.

Aliza is a healer and has no training as a warrior. She fights with her wits, but she's married to a warrior with a dragon. He views her as helpless and doesn't want her in danger, but she wants to be seen as a useful partner. They take a contract to stop an unknown monster that has been killing the creatures--and now a human--near a castle. On the way to the castle, they're attacked by organized groups of humans and monsters. Once at the castle, Aliza asked questions to discover what was going on while her husband patrolled the castle.

I liked that Aliza was able to protect herself using her quick thinking and was vital to solving the mystery. While her husband fought bravely, he had an injury from a previous battle that made him less effective, thus providing more suspense. The characters acted realistically, and I cared about what happened to them. They battled their doubts as much as the physical monsters.

There was enough world building to make a unique environment with out becoming bogged down in the details. There were no sex scenes. There was only a few uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable, exciting fantasy.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Con artist Elizabeth Miles has determined that Society is the biggest con of all. So far, Elizabeth’s only real social success has been with Priscilla Knight.

Priscilla is a dedicated suffragist who was recently widowed for the second time in her young life. Her beloved first husband, DeForrest Jenks, died in a tragic accident and left her with two young daughters and a comfortable fortune. Soon after his death, her pastor convinced her she needed a man to look after her. Before she knew it, he had engineered a whirlwind courtship and hasty marriage to fellow parishioner Endicott Knight. Less than nine months later, Endicott is also dead in a somewhat less tragic and even more suspicious accident.

Priscilla confides to Elizabeth that she had understood Endicott was wealthy in his own right, and she had brought a sizeable fortune to the marriage as well. Now her banker is telling her she has hardly any money left and that her house has been mortgaged. Elizabeth discovers some unsavory evidence that seems to point to the possibility that Endicott’s death may have been connected to blackmail. To save her new friend’s future, Elizabeth must use her special set of skills to find the truth.

My Review:City of Secrets is a historical mystery set in 1918 in New York City. This is the second book in the series, but you don't need to read the previous book to understand this one. This book referred to some events in the previous book, but not enough to spoil the story. Elizabeth is a reformed con artist engaged to marry an honest lawyer who's convinced that following the Law and gaining justice through the legal system are ultimate.

Elizabeth investigated her widowed friend's loss of money to see if it was lost in a con, but she soon realized that Priscilla's husband was blackmailed out of his own fortune and hers. Once certain of who was behind the scheme and the blackmail, Elizabeth realized she couldn't prove it in a court of law. She asked her father to con the blackmailers so she could return the money to Priscilla. Her fiance is appalled (creating a rift between the two) and set out to prove that justice and law must and can prevail.

It was entertaining to follow the investigation and guess just how the con was going to be pulled off. It was a case were the justice system wouldn't ultimately help the hurt party and would even cause more harm by creating a scandal. The blackmailers' own greed and jealousy were used against them. The various efforts even ensured that the blackmailers couldn't harm anyone else in the future. A very satisfying ending. The historical details were woven into the story to create a sense of the specific time and place as well as bring the story alive.

There was one use of bad language. There was no sex. Overall, I'd highly recommend this entertaining historical.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
1905 London. Flora Maguire wants to keep her family safe. So when her beloved charge Viscount Edward Trent is accused of murder, she's determined not to leave the investigation to the police. A man was killed on the train in the seat next to Edward, and he was found leaning over the body. When Edward runs away from the police, they're certain of his guilt. As they investigate, Flora and her husband Bunny become mired in a murky world of communists and fraudsters.

My Review:The Bloomsbury Affair is a mystery set in 1905 in London. It's the fifth book in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to follow this one. However, the characters referred to events in the previous novels and spoiled the previous mysteries.

The characters were interesting and acted realistically. Historical details (like politics, technology, etc.) were woven into the story. The mystery was clue-based, and I realized whodunit before Flora did. Unfortunately, Flora's active investigation of the murder didn't significantly change the ending except by putting several people's lives in danger. The Detective uncovered one of the criminal pair by himself, and I suspect he would have discovered the other if Flora hadn't hidden critical evidence from him. I felt like Flora actually stood in the way of justice this time. And the murderer was not captured by the end. Basically, I found the mystery unsatisfying.

There were no sex scenes. There were only a couple uses of bad language.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Sophie Appersett is quite willing to marry outside of her class to ensure the survival of her family. But the darkly handsome Mr. Edward Sharpe is no run-of-the-mill London merchant. He’s grim and silent. A man of little emotion—or perhaps no emotion at all. After two months of courtship, she’s ready to put an end to things.

But severing ties with her taciturn beau isn’t as straightforward as Sophie envisioned. Her parents are outraged. And then there’s Charles Darwin, Prince Albert, and that dratted gaslight. What’s a girl to do except invite Mr. Sharpe to Appersett House for Christmas and give him one last chance to win her? Only this time there’ll be no false formality. This time they’ll get to know each other for who they really are.

My Review:A Holiday by Gaslight is a romance set in 1861 England. Sophie is a practical, dutiful daughter of a baronet. When a rich merchant asks to court her despite her lack of dowry (it was spent on adding gaslights to the family manor), her parents urge the match in hopes of more funds. However, the hero has been reading an etiquette manual with rather vague advice, so he says little during the courtship in hopes of avoiding offense.

Most of the story happened at a Christmas party held at the manor. The hero has been given a second chance as long as he agrees to share about himself. They get to know each other and admire each other's character, but the differences in their class does make for a few misunderstandings. Historical details about manners, the latest technology, Christmas customs, and such were woven into the story and brought it to life. The characters were likable and were a good match in temperament and interests.

There was no sex. There was occasional use of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable romance.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
1790, England. Lord Francis and Lady Ottilia Fanshawe are preparing for the birth of their first child. But Lady Fan won’t let a little thing like pregnancy get in the way of solving a local mystery. Their neighbour – Sir Joslin Cadel – who recently returned from a sugar plantation in Barbados, has collapsed and died on his doorstep. And his young ward, Tamasine Roy, claims to have murdered him.

With Tamasine clearly suffering from some kind of mental disorder, and the rest of Cadel’s household acting suspiciously, it is clear all is not as it seems. Why did Sir Joslin suddenly return to England? What happened to Tamasine’s parents? Could this seemingly angelic young woman really be a murderess…?

My Review:The Opium Purge is a mystery set in 1790 in London. This novel is the 3rd in the series, but you don't need to read the previous novels to understand this one. This story didn't spoil the whodunit of the previous books, but it did refer back to events in the first story.

The story revolved around a stunningly beautiful, young woman who inherited madness from her mother. Her guardian, Sir Joslin, dies after being pushed down some steps by the girl. She freely admits to trying to kill her guardian in revenge for something that happened several years before, but she won't explain what. Due to her medical training, Lady Fan knows that Sir Joslin didn't die from the push. He died from an opium overdose. She investigates what led up to that day and who in the household might wish to kill Sir Joslin. Complicating matters, her husband's nephew falls in love with the girl and refuses to acknowledge her mental deficiency.

Lady Fan is sympathetic towards the girl and her situation. She asked the household plenty of questions along with using her observational skills. The mystery was a clue-based, puzzle mystery. The characters were interesting, and I cared about what happened to them. The author used historical details to create the feeling of a specific time and place. There were only a few uses of bad language. There were no sex scenes. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable novel.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Pete Brooks can't believe he's waited an entire year for Jess Tagg to return to Montana, only to have her break his heart by getting engaged to her ex-fiancé. Worse, Pete nearly lost his life again while on a rescue and other lives were lost. Pete isn't sure he wants to continue to work in Search and Rescue. Maybe if he can just get over Jess, he can figure out how to move forward.

EMT Jess Tagg has returned to Montana to finally give her heart to Pete, but it seems he's no longer interested. Leaving after a terrible fight, she finds herself crashed on the side of a highway along with Esme Shaw and both are taken captive into the untamed Montana wilderness—with murderous intent. Now Pete and the other PEAK Rescue Team members are in a race against time, the elements, and the actions of a vengeful man.

My Review:Wait for Me is a Christian romantic suspense novel. It's the sixth book in a series. I'd recommend reading the previous books in the series as there are ongoing story lines that were further developed and wrapped up in this book. There were two romances.

Ned and Shae meet again at a wedding reception. Shae has decided to testify against the man who killed her first boyfriend even though this may put her life in danger. Ned is determined to prove that he's "good enough" and not a coward. He gets his chance when Ned, Shae, and Jess are kidnapped, escape into a wilderness, and must survive while injured. The suspense came from the danger from the kidnapper who's hunting them and the danger from the injuries and weather. The main characters acted realistically to events, and I cared about what happened to them.

Much of Jess and Pete's romance was told as flashbacks, which they each think about while waiting for rescue efforts to move forward. Jess has tried not to hurt anyone and has instead hurt everyone. Neither feels like they deserve a happy ending but still love the person that they are when around the other.

The Christian theme was that God loves you even if you don't deserve it. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable story.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
When the dive team is called in to recover a body from a submerged car, they aren't prepared to find an encrypted laptop--or an unsettling connection between investigator Adam Campbell and the dead accountant. Adam turns to his friend Dr. Sabrina Fleming--a professor at the local university with unparalleled computer security and forensics skills--to recover the files from the laptop. But the deeper they dig, the deadlier the investigation becomes.

When evidence uncovers a human trafficking ring and implicates members of Adam's own extended family, he and Sabrina will have to risk everything to solve the case. Someone is willing to do whatever it takes to silence anyone who threatens to reveal their secrets.

My Review:In Too Deep is a Christian romantic suspense novel. The dive team searched for evidence and retrieved a sunken car, but the hero didn't dive at all. The rest of the investigation occurred above water, mostly in a computer lab doing things like retrieving evidence from a waterlogged laptop. The suspense came from repeated attacks on the team investigating the murder, and most of the attacks were focused on the heroine. They're not certain why she's the main target, which created further mystery.

The dive team main characters reacted realistically to events, and I cared about what happened to them. Adam has loved Sabrina for years, but she doesn't feel like she would be accepted by his rich family. The danger to her life prompted him to act on his feelings, and they have to deal with the secrets in her family background and how his family will react to her.

They both believe in God and that motivates them to protect those who can't protect themselves. They are willing to risk their family reputations in order to free people being illegally forced to work for low or no wages. There was no sex or bad language. Overall, I would recommend this exciting suspense novel.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
Journey into Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, of 1863. By day, Clarissa Avery Ross is the daughter of a respectable shoemaker being courted by seminary student Kyle Forrester. But by night she is a conductor on the Underground Railroad, working with a mysterious man called Liberty. She would like to share her work with Kyle, but he refuses to enlist when the war breaks out. How can she remain true to a man she feels is a coward? When the war comes to her back door in an epic battle, the greatest challenges are yet to come.

My Review:My...Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is a romance set in 1860 to 1863 in Gettysburg. In the first half of the book, the scenes where Clarissa led escaped slaves along the Underground Railroad were exciting. But it seemed like most of the scenes were of her 'normal' life, like her romantic walks with Kyle. When war broke out, we got a lot of "I hate you" and "I love you" scenes and love letters while her fiance's at war. Excitement returned when the war came to Gettysburg (and they still managed to spend time kissing intensely).

My main problem was with the hussy...er, heroine. She was extremely forward about embracing and passionately kissing a man, even before he was officially courting her. They also had premarital sex (implied rather than described). She justified this to herself--that God would bless this--because they love each other. She even called herself by his last name and called him her husband before the actual wedding.

I was continually annoyed by her spoiled attitude. She was hateful to people who hurt her pride--for example, Liberty scared her when trying to save her life and even apologized for it, but she basically cursed him to hell for doing so. She was impulsive plus often jumped to wrong conclusions. She's a red head, so she feels that passion, a quick temper, and tantrums are alright. One minute she hates a man and the next she's attracted to him. Even with her beauty and kisses, I can't understand why any man was attracted to her. But they all were.

There were no graphic sex scenes or bad language. Overall, I enjoy actual diaries from this time more than this story, but people who enjoy impulsive, passionate heroines may enjoy it.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

Book Description, Modified from Goodreads:
On her deathbed, Queen Victoria asks to speak privately with trusted agent of the Crown, Colin Hargreaves, and slips him a letter with one last command: Une sanz pluis. Sapere aude. “One and no more. Dare to know.”

The year is 1901 and the death of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch has sent the entire British Empire into mourning. But for Lady Emily and her dashing husband, Colin, the grieving is cut short as another death takes center stage. A body has been found in the Tower of London, posed to look like the murdered medieval king Henry VI. When a second dead man turns up in London's exclusive Berkeley Square, his mutilated remains staged to evoke the violent demise of Edward II, it becomes evident that the mastermind behind the crimes plans to strike again.

The race to find the killer takes Emily deep into the capital’s underbelly, teeming with secret gangs, street children, and sleazy brothels—but the clues aren’t adding up. Even more puzzling are the anonymous letters Colin has been receiving since Victoria's death, seeming to threaten her successor, Edward VII. With the killer leaving a trail of dead kings in his wake, will Edward be the next victim?

My Review:Uneasy Lies the Crown is a historical mystery set in England. There were two story lines, one set in 1415 (and some years after that) and the main mystery set in 1901, right after Queen Victoria's death. This is the 13th book in a series, but you don't need to read the previous books to understand this one. This book did not spoil any previous mysteries in the series.

Lady Emily's husband is busy ensuring the safety of the new King after a murdered man is found dressed up like a past, murdered king. She's not so sure that the threat is against the new king despite the "murdered king" theme, so she asked people questions to find the link between the murder victims. She tried to prevent any future murders even though the victims weren't nice men. At the end, she jumped to some conclusions with little proof because she trusts her intuition. (Granted, I suspected these people, too, but I prefer firm proof before a character starts making accusations like they're a fact.)

There were no graphic sex scenes. There were a couple uses of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting and enjoyable mystery.

If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

About Me

My name is Debbie. I'm a single female in my thirties. I have three book review blogs: one for well-written, clean fiction; one for nonfiction (memoirs, history, military, religion, and social issues); and a book club for Christian nonfiction.

My other review blogs

Why this blog?

I like to read, but it can be hard to find clean mainstream fiction anymore. Hopefully this blog will help others who have similar reading tastes to find clean novels to read.

In my reviews, I try to point out elements that I think readers may wish to know which might influence their decision to read a book. I'm not trying to convince people not to read a book as I'm fully aware that some things which bother me won't bother others at all. So if a book sounds fun to you, certainly give it a try!

Disclosure StatementI'm not paid to review books. I do receive free review copies from publishers, authors, etc., but I also review books I've bought or checked out of the library. I review all books by the same standard, no matter the source. My readers are assuming I am, and the publishers expect it.